Marcel Ciolacu, as prime minister, accumulated three political-diplomatic blunders in just five weeks. These blunders included the abrupt rejection of Germany’s military request, the legitimization of Viktor Orban, and a confrontation with the Army in the Ghencea Stadium scandal. While the „Ghencea affair” weakened the strong image Ciolacu attempted to build as a premier, the first two blunders raised questions about his approach to foreign policy decision-making.
The first misstep of the PSD leader occurred on the international stage. On July 4th, during a joint press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Ciolacu expressed his desire for German soldiers in Romania. This unexpected statement surprised everyone, as Romania already had American troops and a NATO battle group led by France on its soil. Moreover, no other state institution specializing in foreign or defense policy – such as Cotroceni, CSAT, MAE, or the Ministry of Defense – had recently brought up this issue.
Germany’s response was swift and categorical. A spokesperson for the Federal Ministry of Defense stated that Germany was not obligated to send a Bundeswehr brigade to Romania, as they already maintained military cooperation with Lithuania within NATO, while France cooperated with Romania in the NATO battle group.
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